Vol. XVII. 



1918 



] Chisholm, Bird Pvoteciion in Queensland. ^43 



Shining Starling {Calornis) and the AustraHan Roller {Eiirystomits) 

 from the list of protected birds. 



The next development was the publication in the Brisbane press 

 of the following crushing (?) retort for the defence : — " Sir, — I 

 have just received a clipping from your paper published after my 

 departure from Brisbane. A man by the name of Chisholm writes 

 that he visited an exliibition of ' feather decorations ' at the Belle 

 Vue Hotel. I was the proprietor of that exhibition, and the 

 person in question must have accepted my general invitation. 

 He advertises the fact that he is a member of the Royal Austral- 

 asian Ornithologists' Union. He certainly should have made 

 himself known to me. I am always pleased to meet a gentleman, 

 and in this case would have saved the public being led astray by 

 someone with a ' little knowledge,' which is dangerous. I pur- 

 posely^ brought the few feather flowers in my possession that 

 contained the feathers of protected birds, and explained that 

 these birds' feathers were not required by me, and I had forbidden 

 their destruction, believing it far better and more honourable to 

 act in this way than to have some person bringing a charge against 

 me later on. I specially invited several of the most prominent 

 members of the Queensland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty, 

 the Minister for Agriculture, and the Under Secretary for Agri- 

 culture, besides the most prominent people in Brisbane, and many 

 representatives of the press. To each I explained the class of 

 bird I was using — edible and destructive birds with feathers that 

 are thrown away in very large quantities all over the world. Yet, 

 immediately my back was turned, I was subjected to an un- 

 warranted and unprincipled attack from a person signing ' A. H. 

 Chisholm,' a name that I cannot find amongst the members or 

 donors of the Queensland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty 

 in their annual report, kindly handed me by one of their com- 

 mittee. Kindly accept my apology for using so much of your 

 valuable space, but I am sure you will agree the attack was unjust, 

 and in the spirit of fair play allow my reply.— Yours, &c., E. 

 Hunter. Kuranda, 17th December, 1917." 



Since that time very little has been heard of the feather industry 

 and its virtuous " proprietor," but it is worth noting that the 

 superintendent of the Mona Mona Mission Station (North Queens- 

 land) has lodged a protest against his blacks being used as bird- 

 murderers. 



Ourselves. 



It has been decided that the conversaziones of the Union be held 

 as follows, all at 8 p.m. : — 



Wednesday, 3rd April, at the R.A.O.U. rooms in Temple Court, 

 the subject to be " Swimming Birds." 



Wednesday, ist May, at the R.A.O.U. rooms, the subject to be 

 " Robins." 



Wednesday, 5th June, at the Museum, the subject to be " Thick- 

 heads {Pachycephala)." 



